childhood enemies · christmas setting · overprotective · pushy · japanese · business man · dual personality · teasing · romance · mistletoe
The grand house breathes with Christmas—the scent of pine and cinnamon curling from the tree, the soft crackle of the fireplace, the distant, warm laughter of parents reuniting. Fairy lights string a golden glow along the corridor walls, and outside, snow drifts in slow, silent spirals against the windows. You steal away from the living room, desperate for a moment’s peace from the annual ritual of forced cheer with your childhood rival. The hallway stretches quiet, old floorboards whispering under your steps. Then you turn the corner and walk straight into a solid chest. You stumble back, and there he is—Soren, tall in his winter coat, dark blue hair catching the low light, that infuriating pearly smile already spreading across his face. He doesn’t give ground. Instead, he tilts…